Henry D'Alberto fashions a Patriot League championship men's golf team at Lehigh University

View full sizeLehigh University men's golf coach Henry D'Alberto, left, receives his Coach of the Year award at the conclusion of the Patriot League tournament at Saucon Valley Country Club.Photo courtesy of Lehigh University

Now in his seventh season as the Mountain Hawks' golf coach, D'Alberto noted the differences between his playing experiences and coaching.

"You get more nervous as a coach because you have less control over the outcome," said D'Alberto, who works as a registered investment adviser. "The biggest difference in terms of what I did (in 1997) and now is we have a practice facility, a trainer we work with and we have a sports psychologist. It's a different approach than 16 years ago. It was more self-driven then."

Despite not having a player win an individual tournament title all season, Lehigh managed to win the Patriot League championship with a balanced lineup. Five players finished among the top 11: junior Alex DiClemente (222, third place), freshman Harley Abrams (226, tie for fourth), sophomore Carlos Kim (227 tie for sixth) and sophomore Zach Allinson of Emmaus High School and junior Andrew Arnold, who tied for 11th at 232.

"We won three out of eight team tournaments this year, so we had the experience of winning," said D'Alberto, who resides in Palmer Township. "Our three key players this year were Harley Abrams, who has played consistently well all year, Carlos Kim and Alex DiClemente. They have been the core of the team. We have been balanced."

Since five scores out of six players count each day in the league tournament, D'Alberto praised his team's depth. He was pleased with the play of Allinson.

"We made Zach qualify for the sixth spot for the tournament," D'Alberto said. "He's glad he had to qualify because it made him work on his game. He chipped in with a key 74 on Saturday."

D'Alberto, a 1993 Notre Dame High School graduate, had an outstanding amateur career highlighted by three consecutive U.S. Amateur qualifications from 1995 to 1997 prior to turning professional in late 1997. He played in numerous mini-tour events for nearly a decade before taking the coaching position at Lehigh in 2006.

Last August, the long-time Northampton Country Club member was granted his amateur status reinstatement by the USGA. He is looking forward to a possible return to amateur tournament competition.

"I would like to play again, but with coaching and a full-time job, I'm very busy," said D'Alberto, who was the 1997 Lehigh Valley Player of the Year. "I'm trying to make a promise to myself to play and practice again."